what are telomerase negative cells?

[aguy]

Hi,

I noticed that BJ cell types at ATCC are telomerase negative. What does this imply? If there is no telomerase, then there is no telomere, which means that cells can replicate indefinitely and are cancer-like - is this correct?

Thanks,
John.

[Warthaug]

NO, you have it backwards. Telomerase is required for the maintenance of telomeres. No telomeraase means the telomeres will shrink every cell division. Eventually parts of the chromosome will be lost. The upregulation of telomerase is generally required for the transition from non-cancerous to cancerous cells; without that upregulation the cells would evetually die, due to the loss of genetic material every cell division.

B